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Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger used Hollywood terminology to paint a dire picture last fall at a state party convention. 'We are dying at the box office,' Schwarzenegger said. 'We are not filling the seats.'
AP Photo

In Arkansas, where Republicans lost the governorship in 2006 and are outnumbered in the state House and Senate by 3-1 margins, state GOP Chairman Dennis Milligan said he is facing defections and malaise.

“Independent conservative individuals just said they were fed up and they said there is no difference [between the two parties],” Milligan said. “We have sent out the message that we are now different. We know it did not fall down in one day and it won’t be rebuilt in one day.”

Even in some of the reddest states in the nation, Republicans have faced dispiriting news. As if Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ easy 2006 re-election victory wasn’t insult enough in heavily Republican Kansas, she won with a running mate who was more than a little familiar to the state GOP—Mark Parkinson, the former state Republican chairman, who switched parties to run as her lieutenant governor.

Just four years earlier, Parkinson had exclaimed that “any Republican who supports Kathleen Sebelius for governor is either insincere or uninformed.” Sebelius is now frequently mentioned as a prospective vice presidential nominee.

Most recently it was the Alaska Republican party airing its dirty laundry.

Just over a week ago, at the state Republican convention, the lieutenant governor shocked his party colleagues by announcing a primary challenge to veteran Congressman Don Young, who is under federal investigation. The state’s senior senator, Republican Ted Stevens, is also under federal investigation.

At the same event, GOP Gov. Sarah Palin, who is at odds with the state party, called for changes in leadership in the wake of a series of scandals that have tainted the party. An attempt to oust GOP Chairman Randy Ruedrich fell just short.

“We are not a unified group as we once were,” said Republican John Harris, the Speaker of the Alaska House. “Between Congressman Young and Senator Stevens, and our governor seems to throw out comments periodically about the ethical operation of the state … internally, that fuels the fire constantly.”

“Democrats don’t have to do that much to keep it alive. We keep it alive ourselves,” he added. “That breaks down morale.”

While Alaska Republicans were battling among themselves at their convention, roughly a dozen Republican state chairmen met in Las Vegas --the first gathering of its kind in recent memory, according to one of the chairmen who attended.

Formally, the purpose was to exchange ideas on “improving each state party’s performance,” said Sean McCaffrey, the executive director of the Arizona Republican party.?? But there was widespread concern expressed over the direction of the party as a whole.

Even that effort to strengthen the individual state parties fell short of the mark. With the exception of Florida, no Southern chairmen were in attendance. Many, it seems, were uncomfortable with the symbolism of meeting inside a Las Vegas hotel the same weekend as Palm Sunday.

“That’s a real problem with the Republican party that they went to a casino on Palm Sunday,” said one GOP state party chairman, who refused to come due to the timing.

“Here we are the values party,” the chairman added. “You’ve got to walk the walk here. If you don’t, you’re going to lose. You can’t disaffect your base.”

The Presumptive Republican nonimee Senator John MCcain is a decorated war hero who has gallantly served our country. But at 70 yrs of age, he should ideally be at home with grand kids and offering advice as an elder republican. He is bound to have many "senior moments" like the Iran-Al-Qaeda gaffes and cant handle the hectic challenges of the presidency. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... By supporting our continued presence in Iraq, he happens to be on the wrong side of history. We dont want another "third term" for the failed Bush-Dick policies. Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

The Presumptive Republican nonimee Senator John MCcain is a decorated war hero who has gallantly served our country. But at 70 yrs of age, he should ideally be at home with grand kids and offering advice as an elder republican.

He is bound to have many "senior moments" like the Iran-Al-Qaeda gaffes and cant handle the hectic challenges of the presidency.

At a time when the GOP presidential nominee will need more assistance than ever, a number of state Republican parties are struggling through troubled times, suffering from internal strife, poor fundraising, onerous debt, scandal or voting trends that are conspiring to relegate the local branches of the party to near-irrelevance.

Me tinks Kuhn and Mahtesian are Democrats.

The only voting problems infecting the Republican Party are liberal voting trends for the illegal alien amnesty bill, excessive spending bills, etc. If Republicans do not return to a core conservative agenda, then they will never win another major election. The GOP is finished and a new conservative party will emerge.

" “You’ve got to walk the walk here. If you don’t, you’re going to lose."

Unless the Democratic party continues tearing herself apart thru internal warngles, there`s no way in which the American people will elect a 70 year old, half senile MCcain. Look at the fundraising records being shattered by the democratic candidates in the primary season and the knid of ethusiasm being shown by the young people.

I do honestly believe that the U.S deserves better. We dont want another failed Bush policies for the next 4 years. Its time to bring our troops home and let the Iraq people take responsibility for their government. We have lost 4000 gallant sons and daughters of this soil.

Senator Clinton is a serial liar. She doesnt talk about the 6 years she served as a Diractor of Wal-Mart and sugar-coats her trip to Bosnia. Its time to turn the page and write a new chapter in the great American story.

The GOP is dying at the box office because they have zero new ideas to bring to this election cycle. Period! McCain is about as exciting to listen/watch during a speech as listening/watching GWBush butcher up the English language. Dullsville! For all of McCain's lifelong experience, he has never ever worked for anything other than the government. No private business experience. McCain has never so much as managed an organization of any . If you liked GWBush, you are gonna love John McCain!

It does not surprise me that GOP state parties are dying at the box office . Look at your pictured photo , Arnold Schwarzenegger ? His state has been dying since Pete Wilson used a California Initiavtive blaming Mexican americans to win a second term as California governor . I just wish it carried to Georgia , where I now live . The Governor and state legislature have accomplished nothing in six years of in-fighting . Why should they or US Senator Saxby Chambliss be rewarded with job extensions ? Can anyone name one accomplishment of Saxby Chambliss ?

Seattle Liberal I agree with you 100% on McCain. He is a lifeless dull candidate.He has no domestic agenda and has wrapped himself in the Iraq war and surge.He's more interested in reeling in liberal and independent votes than rallying his own base.The problem is as bad as McCain is,he's better than what you all have to offer. Obama is still trying to stumble through Wrightgate hating the guy one minute and loving him the next.You all don't have much of an agenda either except raising taxes and bleeding businesses.You can't gin up the hate vs. McCain the way you did against Bush. McCain looks sensible compared to Bush and that's your problem.You have all your miseries to blame on the Clintons who stonewalled and good candidates from getting in on your side. Obama was supposed to be nothing more than a fashion statement for your party and now you're stuck with him as the nominee.Luckily for you McCain willprobably pick a running mate as dull as he is. He wants to be the top dog.

Why should they or US Senator Saxby Chambliss be rewarded with job extensions ? Can anyone name one accomplishment of Saxby Chambliss ?

Can you name one accomplishment of Barack Obama besides the fact he is the democratic nominee for president? If you can't, quit following the Obama bandwagon and understand what the candidate actually stands for. You'll be surprised.

McCain is a genuine war hero that doesn't deserve the negatives his Bush affiliation will bring him. I agree the Democrats have basically screwed themselves but find it hard to vote for McCain knowing that with the economy the way it is, the war, immigration, and what will probably be another terrorist attack during the next presidential term will make fixing things next to impossible. As i see it right now Bill Clinton and GWB are to blame and I'm afraid that if McCain wins he will be shackled with the undeserved responsiblity for everything. McCain should not be used as a scapgoat for the past two administrations short comings. I will vote for whatever democrat to keep McCain from having his Patriotic American record tarnished by others bad policies. I'd rather be able to blame Democrats than a genuine war hero.

Well, they've certainly done their share of that. Agree that that Schwarzenegger is an odd choice to deliver this observation.

Spending, an untenable border policy, wandering off the reservation with things like "no child" education stuff, the purview of the States have left many dismayed.

But , as Musaja above points out, "the Democratic party continues tearing herself apart thru internal warngles..." . Still, It would better if the Republicans were engaged in more than the hope that Obama and Hillary end up on the platform of the convention, hands around each other's throats screaming "I'll kill you!"

And that's why your most liberal candidate (alllegedly, don't see it myself) got the nomination?

Want to rethink that? Nah. That would require thinking.

Actually... as I have stated many times on this board... the liberal media selected McCain.

In return, we are now playing games with the Democratic Party nominee to get even for McCain. With luck, the DNC will be so blooded by the crossover voting and other problems created, that they will lose in November regardless of who is on the GOP ticket.